Container for packaging articles



pt- 11, 1962 E. J. H. JACOBS 3,053,431

CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Filed June 16, 1960 FIG. 1

Attorney United States Patent Qfiice Patented Sept. 11, 1962 3,053,431 CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES Edward J. H. Jacobs, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Allpak Products Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed June 16, 1960, Ser. No. 36,592 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-39) This invention relates to a container for packaging a pair of bulb-shaped articles in side-by-side relationship. More particularly, this invention relates to such a container particularly suitable for packaging articles commonly known as electric incandescent lamp bulbs.

It has been common practice in the past when packaging a pair of articles such as electric incandescent lamp bulbs to place the articles more or less end for end in an elongated, rectangularly-shaped, tubular container. In some cases, a pair of lamp bulbs have been so packaged by overlapping the neck portions of the lamp bulbs and by providing a partition inside the container and separating the two lamp bulbs so as to minimize the chance of one lamp bulb striking against the other with consequent breakage. It will be apparent, because lamp bulbs have been so packaged with little or no overlapping, that the size of the elongated container must be about as large as the largest width dimension of the lamp bulbs, and the container must be approximately twice as long as the length of a single lamp bulb. Prior art containers of the aforementioned type therefore employ a relatively large amount of packaging material and are also relatively large from a volume point of view.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of my invention to provide a container for packaging a pair of bulb-shaped articles in side-by-side relationship.

It is another object of my invention to provide such a container which has a high volumetric efficiency i.e., a container which not only has space which is efiiciently utilized, but also employs a minimum volume for packaging a pair of bulb-shaped articles.

A further object of my invention is to provide a container for packaging a pair of bulb-shaped articles in side by-side relationship, which container employs a minimum amount of packaging material.

As mentioned previously, many prior art containers for packaging a pair of bulb-shaped articles employ a partition between the bulb-shaped articles. This partition is usually as long as the container itself, if not longer, and as wide as the width dimension of the container and therefore is a relatively large piece of material. In some cases the partition is formed as a part of the strip from which the outer walls of the container proper is formed, and in other cases the partition is made from a separate piece of material which must be inserted between the bulb-shaped articles when they are placed in the container. In either case the provision of and/or the employment of such a partition makes the manufacture of the container or the packaging of the articles therein more complex and more expensive.

Accordingly, it is another object of my invention to eliminate a partition of the type hereinbefore described, and therefore to reduce the amount of material required to pack bulb-shaped articles in a container.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a container for packaging a pair of bulb-shaped articles in side-by-side relationship, which container can be relatively simply made from a continuous strip by simple folding, cutting and gluing operations.

A further object of my invention is to provide a container for packaging a pair of bulb-shaped articles in side-by-side relationship, which container is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and simple to pack.

Other objects and advantages of a container embodying my invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of a strip of material from which a container embodying my invention may be made;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a container embodying my invention together with a cover therefor; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation in section showing a container embodying my invention and containing a pair of electric incandescent lamp bulbs.

While, for the purpose of simplification, I will herein describe my container as a container for packaging lamp bulbs, it will be apparent that my container is useful for packaging bulb-shaped articles other than lamp bulbs, and where the term bulb-shaped articles is used herein, it refers not only to electric incandescent lamp bulbs but also to such articles as are generally similarly shaped.

Briefly, in accordance with my invention, I provide a container for packaging a pair of bulb-shaped articles in side-by-side relationship and pointing in at least approximately opposite directions. The container comprises an open-ended, straight-sided tube having a pair of side walls joined together. A pair of flaps are positioned one above the other in at least one of the side walls. The flaps are formed by slits in the side wall and are movable inwardly about an unslit side toward the other side wall. When the flaps are in their inwardly disposed position they form a pair of side-by-side disposed article-receiving compartments within the tube. The article-receiving compartments are accessible from the open ends of the tube, and articles to be packaged in the container are inserted into the article-receiving compartments through the open ends of the tube.

The containers to be hereinafter described may be conveniently formed from faced, corrugated paper which consists of a strip of plain paper (the facing) to which is secured a strip of corrugated paper by any suitable means such as an adhesive. When such faced, corrugated paper is made into a container the facing is the outer surface of the container, while the corrugated paper is the inner surface of the paper. Advertising material and other descriptive matter may be printed on the facing. At the same time, the corrugated paper imparts strength to the container while permitting the container to retain a desired degree of flexibility.

Referring now to the drawings for a more detailed description of a container embodying my invention, and in particular to FIGURE 1, I have shown a section of faced, corrugated paper 1 from which a container embodying my invention may be made. The strip has parallel creases 2, 3 and 4 provided therein and comprises a pair of side walls 5 and 6 and a pair of end walls 7 and 8. It will be appreciated that I have shown only a section of what is a continuous strip of faced, corrugated paper comprising a plurality of sections 1 such as that shown in FIGURE 1 all joined together and from each of which a single container can be made. The section shown in FIGURE 1 is cut from the continuous strip in order to fabricate a container therefrom. In one of the side walls 5 I have provided a pair of flaps 9 and 10, one above the other. These flaps are formed by slits in side Wall 5 and the flaps are provided with an unslit side 11 about which the flaps may be bent. One of the flaps is closer to one of the open ends of the container into which section 1 is subsequently made than to the other open end, while the other of the flaps is closer to the other open end than to the one open end. Flap 9 is above, While flap 10 is below the centerline of side wall 5 parallel to the plane of the open ends of the container into which section 1 is subsequently made.

Referring to the figures generally, it will be seen that flaps 9 and are formed so that the unslit side 11 of fiap 9 is closer to end wall 8 than to end wall 7, whereas the unslit side 11 of flap 10 is closer to end wall 7 than to end wall 8. In other words, the unslit sides 11 of the flaps are positioned on opposite sides of a centerline of side wall 5, which centerline is perpendicular to the planes of the open ends of the container. 'In this way, and as best seen in FIGURE 3, article-receiving compartments having larger and smaller ends are formed. One of the article-receiving compartments is largest at one open end of the container and smallest at the other open end of the container, while the other article-receiving compartment is largest at the other open end of the container and smallest at the one open end of the container. Flaps 9 and 10, as best seen in FIGURE 3 are formed so that a major surface thereof, i.e., the surface on which the lamp bulbs rest, is slightly inclined with respect to end walls 7 and 8.

In manufacturing a container 12 such as is shown in FIGURE 2 from section 1, the section of faced, corrugated paper is bent along the crease lines 2, 3 and 4 to form a rectangularly-shaped container, and the outer edge of end wall 7 is afiixed to the outer edge of side wall 6 by any suitable means such as glue or adhesive tape. It will be appreciated, of course, that the steps of creasing the strip of faced, corrugated paper, cutting the same into single container lengths, cutting flaps 9 and 10 in side wall 5, folding the container along the crease lines and gluing the free edges together, may be performed by automtaic machinery.

In FIGURE 2 I have shown a container 12 embodying my invention in assembled form and containing lamp bulbs therein. Also shown in FIGURE 2 is a cover 13 made of faced, corrugated material in the shape of a rectangular, straight-sided tube. The cover is adapted to be slid over container 12 closing off the open ends thereof so as to prevent the lamp bulbs from falling out of the open ends of the container.

FIGURE 3 shows a pair of electric incandescent lamp bulbs 15 and 16 packaged in a container 12 embodying my invention. It will be seen from a consideration of FIGURE 3 that in order to package lamp bulbs 15 and 16, flaps -9 and 10 are bent inwardly about unslit sides 11 so as to divide container 12 into two article-receiving compartments. Lamp bulbs 15 and 16 are placed in container 12 in side-by-side relationship and point approximately in opposite directions. The lamp bulbs are packaged in the container so that the bulbous portions of the lamp bulbs are placed in the largest parts of the -articlereceiving compartments, where as the necks of the lamp bulbs are placed in the smallest parts of the article-receiving compartments. It will be seen, therefore, from a consideration of FIGURE 3 that the two lamp bulbs 15 and 16 are closely nestled together and overlap one another, the lamp bulbs being separated only by flaps 9 and 10.

While, as mentioned previously, container 12 may be assembled from a continuous strip of faced, corrugated paper by automatic machinery, it will be appreciated that lamp bulbs also may be packed in container 12 by automatic machinery which operates so as to bend flaps 9 and 10 inwardly and then to place lamp bulbs into the two article-receiving compartments so formed.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention disclosed and illustrated herein I have shown flaps provided in only one side wall. It would not depart from my invention to provide flaps in both side walls. Moreover it will be apparent that various features of the preferred embodiment of my invention may be changed or eliminated without departing from my invention. For example, where two bulb-shaped articles of different sizes are to be packaged in a container constructed in accordance with my invention, it may prove expedient to position flaps 9 and 10 other than symmetrically about the aforementioned centerline of side wall 5. It also may be desirable to alter the size or shapes of the fiaps or to make one flap difier in size or shape from the other. As another example, it is optional whether or not a major surface of flaps 9 and 10 should be disposed at a slight angle to end walls 7 and 8.

From a consideration of the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a new container for packaging bulb-shaped articles in side-byside relationship which has the following advantages:

(a) High volumetric efiiciency;

(b) Employs a minimum amount of packaging material; (c) Eliminates partition as a separate integer;

(d) Simple and inexpensive to manufacture;

(a) Simple to pack.

While I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of a container constructed in accordance with my invention, it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

I. In combination, a completely collapsible container for packaging two bulb-shaped articles in side-by-side relationship and pointing in at least approximately opposite directions, and two bulb-shaped articles, said container comprising an open-ended tube having two oppositely disposed parallel side walls joined together by two oppositely disposed parallel end walls, the width of said side walls being greater than the width of said end walls, said tube being generally rectangular in crosssection, and two flaps positioned one above the other in at least one of said side walls, said flaps being formed by slits in said side wall and each of said fiaps being movable inwardly about an unslit side toward the other of said side walls, one of said flaps being closer to one open end of said tube than the other of said flaps, the other of said flaps being closer to the other open end of said tube than said one of said flaps, said unslit side of said one flap being on one side of a first centerline of said one side wall and forming a hinge inclined at an acute angle to said first centerline, said unslit side of said other flap being on the other side of said first centerline and forming a hinge inclined at an acute angle to said first centerline, said first centerline being the centerline of said one side wall between and parallel to said end walls, said one flap being on one side of second centerline of said one side wall, said other flap being on the other side of said second centerline, said second centerline being the centerline of said one side wall between said open ends and intersecting said first centerline, said flaps in the inwardly disposed position thereof being slightly inclined in at least substantially the same direction toward said end walls, said flaps in the inwardly disposed position thereof forming with said side walls and said end walls two side-by-side disposed article-receiving compartments within said tube, said article-receiving compartments being accessible from said open ends of said tube, one of said compartments being largest at one of said open ends of said tube and smaller at the other of said open ends of said tube, the other of said compartments being largest at said other open end and smaller at said one open end, said bulb-shaped articles each having a bulbous end and a base, one of said bulb-shaped articles being positioned in said one compartment with said bulbous end thereof adjacent said one open end of said tube and said base thereof adjacent said other open end of said tube, the other of said bulb-shaped articles being positioned in said other compartment with said bulbous end thereof adjacent said other open end of said tube and said base thereof adjacent said one open end of said tube, the length of said tube being substantially the same as the length of either of said bulb-shaped articles, said flaps being positioned between said bulb-shaped articles and precluding contact between said bulb-shaped articles.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said container is made of faced, corrugated paper, the corrugations being the inner surface of said tube and the facing being the outer surface of said tube, one of said flaps having a corrugated surface facing into said one compartment,

the other of said flaps having a corrugated surfac facing 2,593,689 M f ell a Apr. 22, into said other compartment. 5 2,654,472 Wi lie Oct. 6,

3. A container according to claim 1 includin a cover 2,825,496 M sler Mar. 4, therefor, said cover being an open-ended, straight-sided 2,392,581 el June 30, tube adapted to be slid over said container to cover Said 9 3 Amatel et May 9, 1961 open ends thereof.

4. A container according to claim 1 wherein said flaps 10 FOREIGN PATENTS are provided in one only of said side walls. 178,588 Austria May 25,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

